


The Tale of the Writing Club

by Fire_Bear



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Character Study, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 18:22:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14026002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Ben starts university and joins a club.





	The Tale of the Writing Club

**Author's Note:**

> So I wanted to see if the characterisations of my characters in my novel are actually up to scratch. Like, are they believable and stuff. So I made a fanfic of my own novel to see what people think. To be deleted when I finally finish the damn thing.
> 
> I decided to write them in the order you see them in the novel.
> 
> It's from Ben's POV so... 
> 
> I'm also gonna keep these short and write them between fanfics.

It was Fresher’s Week and Ben was understandably excited. After all, this was his first real adventure (not counting any of the school holidays he’d been on or the explorations he’d done with his fellow orphans and foster siblings) and he was determined to experience it to its full. He’d already made a blog specifically to recount the stories of his time at university. It was a different from the one he’d used to tell the world about his high school years. Those stories weren’t written as well as what he could write now; he had no intention of rewriting them.

Due to student loans and the people at the orphanage raising money for them, Ben had been able to move into the student halls, so he didn’t have far to go. Astrephone had helped him move in. Both of them had been emotional: both of them had been happy. Ben couldn’t wait for his course to start – he’d already read all the recommended reading, plus some books he’d found which were similar to them.

Today, though, marked the middle of Fresher’s Week. He still had to be given his schedule but he wasn’t worried about that at the moment. What he _was_ interested in were what clubs or societies he could join. There were a lot of them, some of which looked terribly interesting. So far, he’d passed a robotics club and a LARPing club. Ben had given both a miss. The Tabletop Roleplaying club did quirk his interest as he could actually write a story and come up with a world for the players. But he’d been told that they usually wait a few months before easing any newbies into the GM role and he wasn’t sure he had the patience for that.

So, still dithering, he passed by the stalls, running his eyes over them. Some of them were for political parties. Others were for local businesses who were giving out freebies. He’d already gotten a pen and a cheap memory stick shaped like an arrow. No doubt he would only be able to save one document to it at a time or something. A baking club attracted his attention, the smell of cakes and fresh bread drawing so many that there was a huge crowd. Ben grimaced and decided to move on. Maybe if he came back later…

That was when he spotted the table beside it. It wasn’t decorated all that much, just a simple sign, huge in size sitting behind it. Another one hung from the front of the table. Upon it, were a bundle of various papers, strewn across it. Behind it, two young men sat, leaning towards each other as they strived to hear each other over the noise of the baking club. But what really attracted his attention was the _name_ of the club.

_Writing Club_.

Ben practically threw himself at the table, looking around for the sign-up sheet. Of course, that attracted the attention of the two men. They both looked up at him, blinking in surprise. Ben let his eyes flick over them, taking in their appearance and committing it to memory. Later, he would type up their descriptions in his usual flowery prose to set the scene of him finding the best club on campus.

The one on Ben’s right was broad-chested and brown-skinned. His black hair fell in attractive curls around his strong jaw. Amused olive eyes completed his overall look, what with his perfectly proportioned face. Or, it would be perfect, had his nose not been broken and not set quite straight. He wore a maroon shirt which top two buttons were undone, revealing collarbones with little bruises littered across it.

His friend was slightly smaller but still evidently muscled, with broad shoulders. He was tanned but obviously wasn’t naturally dark-skinned – perhaps he’d been somewhere sunny for his summer holiday. Just like the first man, his hair was black, though it seemed artfully ruffled rather than curly. His eyes were darker and wide in surprise; Ben thought they might be hazel, though they could just be brown. Unlike the first man, this one seemed eager to cover up as much skin as was possible and had opted for a long-sleeved, crew-neck top with thick, horizontal black and white stripes.

“Hi,” said Ben, when it was clear neither of them were going to speak. “Where’s your sign-up sheet?”

“Oh, um,” said the smaller guy. “I think it’s…” He shuffled some papers around before handing Ben a piece of paper with all of three names on it. “And, uh…” Ben looked up from staring at the meagre list in dismay to find the guy holding out a pen.

“Thanks!” Ben said, cheerfully. He was amazed to see the student’s eyes widen a fraction, a blush darkening his skin. Wondering what that was about, Ben leaned over to scribble out his name and e-mail address. “Man, I’m glad this exists – I’ll need all the practise I can get!”

“‘Practise’?” asked the helpful guy.

“Yeah, I wanna be an author!” Ben explained, probably overly loud. “It’s been my dream since… forever!”

“So, I take it you’re on an English course of some sort?”

“Yeah, English and Creative Writing.” Ben paused, the man’s words catching up with him. “Wait, are you not in the same thing? I mean, it’s a Writing Club…”

“No, Erasmos is the English student,” replied the man, gesturing towards the other one. “He just dragged me to this in my first year after… things. I’m studying Applied Sports.”

“Well,” said Ben, looking him over. “That makes sense.” And, when he thought about it, Erasmos made sense. They must have met in the gym or in some sports related club or something along those lines.

“Ah, yeah…” said the guy, looking away.

Ben felt as if he should keep the conversation going. “Are you just helping out today or do you actually go to the club meetings?”

“Oh, I go to them. I don’t always bring in any writing, though…” He looked sheepish, ducking his head a little so he could hide from both Ben and Erasmos.

“He keeps saying he doesn’t have any good stories,” Erasmos informed him. “I look forward to actually seeing something of his.” He raised an eyebrow at the nameless student who grimaced in response.

“I’ll bring in the first chapter of a novel I’ve been working on,” Ben promised them, “if you bring something in, as well, uh… Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Ah, I’m Joe,” he said, smiling bashfully up at Ben.

“Ben,” he replied, holding out his hand. Joe shook it: his grip was strong and Ben imagined him sitting at his desk, typing an essay about volleyball or something with one hand and using one of those grip things in the other. “So? It’s a deal?”

“Huh?” said Joe, face falling in his bewilderment.

“You bring in something and I’ll bring in the first chapter of my novel,” Ben explained, catching Erasmos’s eye and grinning at him. Erasmos snorted and turned his head away, lifting his hand to cover his smile.

“I, uh-”

“Not taking no for an answer!” Ben declared in a sing-song voice.

“But… But _when_?”

“First meeting, obviously.”

“We don’t usually do any writing,” Erasmos informed him. “The first meeting’s a get-to-know-you session. It, uh, eases people into the… eccentricities of the group…”

“Huh,” said Ben, grin widening. “Sounds like an interesting club.”

“It’s fun,” Joe agreed.

“Good.” Ben grinned at him. “I’ll see you then. And, the week after, you can bring that piece, right?”

“Wha-? No, wait-”

But Ben didn’t wait, waving at him as he darted into the thinning crowd at the baking club. He was determined to get a cake. Besides, he figured their conversation would become a bit repetitive, what with Joe refusing to bring it and him insisting on it. He wondered if Joe would relent or if he was stubborn. Either way, Ben thought it was interesting; what on Earth kept Joe at a writing club when he had no intention of writing?


End file.
